Description: This is a sea hare with a bubble-shaped external shell, an elongated neck and head region, and parapodia which fold over on each side to partially enclose the body. The shell is at the tail end of the body. It is 50-80 mm in length. They can swim by vigorously flapping the parapodia with their heavy (shelled) end hanging down.

Habitat: Normally crawling or burrowing in mud, sand or gravel in the shallow infralittoral on sheltered shores, or sometimes in marinas. At times they may form swimming swarms, often in quite large numbers.

Distribution: Recorded from most shores around Britain and Ireland where there is suitable habitat.

Similar Species: Haminoea navicula is superficially similar but has the shell in the middle of the back with a rounded tail behind.

Key Identification Features:

• Bubble shell extending beyond the pallial lobes above the tail.
• Pallial lobes overlapping across the back.

Distribution Map from NBN: Akera bullata at National Biodiversity Network mapping facility, data for UK.

iNaturalist: Akera bullata at iNaturalist World Species Observations database.

GBIF data for Akera bullata

WoRMS: Akera bullata at World Register of Marine Species. Accepted name: Akera bullata O. F. Müller, 1776. AphiaID: 138734.

Classification: Biota; Animalia; Mollusca; Gastropoda; Heterobranchia; Euthyneura; Tectipleura; Aplysiida; Akeroidea; Akeridae; Akera